Delta Offers Customers More of the Caribbean with First-Ever Service to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

Fourth Dominican destination supports Delta’s goal to become the No. 2 U.S. carrier to Caribbean and Latin America

ATLANTA, May 1, 2006 – Continuing the largest expansion to Latin America and the Caribbean in its history, Delta Air Lines will expand to four the number of non-stop destinations served on one of the Caribbean’s most enchanting islands with the addition of service between Atlanta and Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, effective Dec. 15, 2006*. The new service, which will be operated in the peak season with Delta’s 150-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft, will complement existing service from three other Dominican destinations to the United States, including daily flights between Atlanta and Santo Domingo and Punta Cana, and between New York-JFK and Santo Domingo and Santiago.

Delta Chief Operating Officer Jim Whitehurst today announced the route during a speech to Latin American and Caribbean airline leaders gathered at the 14th Annual International Airline CEO Conference in Miami.

Said Whitehurst, “By 2007, Delta firmly intends to become the No. 2 carrier to Latin America and the Caribbean among U.S. carriers. Delta already holds a strong No. 2 position to Deep South America, and we’re quickly closing the gap in Central America and the Caribbean. Never has there been a better time to grow service in this vibrant region of the world and to offer our customers more choices to experience the beauty, warmth and growing centers of tourism and commerce throughout the Caribbean.”

Puerto Plata’s more than 1850 square kilometers exhibit the region’s agricultural products of rice, coffee, rum and tobacco combined with beautiful hotels, resorts and shopping opportunities. The city offers everything from rest and relaxation to some of the Caribbean’s best windsurfing. History buffs can rent a taxi just 20 miles up the coast to the long-abandoned settlement at La Isabel, a national treasure where Christopher Columbus landed during his second trip in 1494.

Delta customers traveling between Dominican Republic and the airline’s largest hub in Atlanta will have access to one of the world’s most extensive schedule of connecting flights, making it convenient to connect to the Dominican Republic from most any corner of the globe. From Atlanta, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers will offer customers non-stop service to nearly 230 worldwide destinations aboard more than 1,000 peak-day flights with the summer 2006 schedule. Delta’s new flights between Atlanta and Puerto Plata, which are now available for sale to customers at delta.com, will operate as follows:

Delta’s new daily non-stop service between Atlanta and Puerto Plata, effective December 15:


Flight Departs Arrives
256 Atlanta at 11:05 am Puerto Plata at 3:12 pm
257 Puerto Plata at 4:14 pm Atlanta at 8:40 pm
Delta’s expanded non-stop service between Atlanta and Dominican Republic is the latest in a series of nearly 40 new routes to Latin America and the Caribbean added or announced by Delta in the last year as part of the largest international expansion in the airline’s history. In the last three months, Delta has begun service to new non-stop destinations including Acapulco, Merida, and Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa Mexico, and San Pedro Sula and Roatan, Honduras from Atlanta; Los Cabos, Mexico from Cincinnati; Mazatlan, Mexico from Salt Lake City; Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco, Mexico from New York JFK; and Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa from Los Angeles.

Delta Air Lines (Other OTC: DALRQ) is one of the world’s fastest growing international carriers with more than 50 new international routes added or announced in the last year. Delta offers flights to 452 destinations in 95 countries on Delta, Song, Delta Shuttle, the Delta Connection carriers and its worldwide partners. In summer 2006, Delta plans to offer customers more destinations and departures between the U.S., Europe, India and Israel than any global airline**, including service on 11 new transatlantic routes from its Atlanta and New York-JFK hubs. Delta also is a major carrier to Mexico, South and Central America and the Caribbean, with more than 35 routes announced, added or applied to serve since Jan. 1, 2005. Delta’s marketing alliances also allow customers to earn and redeem SkyMiles on more than 14,000 flights offered by SkyTeam and other partners. Delta is a founding member of SkyTeam, a global airline alliance that provides customers with extensive worldwide destinations, flights and services. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes and check flight status at delta.com.
*Subject to foreign government approval.
**From the U.S., based on July 2006 OAG.

A portion of travel for some itineraries may be on the Delta Connection carriers: Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Chautauqua, Comair or Shuttle America.

Contact Information

Arleen Pharr

Senior Manager, Corporate Communications Latin America and Caribbean

Delta Air Lines

Contact via E-mail